Where was the lecture on how slavery alone catapulted the whole country from agriculture into the industrial age in two decades? White folks' hatred, their violence, was the gasoline that kept the profit motors running.
The quote from Toni Morrison's "God Help the Child" highlights the significant role of slavery in transforming the United States from an agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse within a short period. It suggests that the economy was heavily reliant on the exploitation of enslaved people, which fueled industrial growth and profitability.
Morrison implies that the underlying racial hatred and violence perpetuated by white individuals were essential in sustaining this system of profit. By emphasizing this point, the author critiques the moral implications of such reliance on oppression, questioning the narratives that often overlook or downplay the impact of slavery on American progress.